7. Initiation in the Aquarian Age.

7. Initiation in the Aquarian Age.

I have hinted at the
orientation which has been or will be carried out in connection with the three
major world centres; I have also hinted at the relation of certain of the major
initiations to these centres. These hints constitute a new line of thought.
In this connection there are one or two points which I would like to develop in
connection with this, so as to make the entire subject considerably clearer
than it is at present. I would like also to relate these centres to the rays
which are now in manifestation (either coming in, passing out or in full
expression). Speaking with brevity, we could say that:

The first initiation is
closely related to the planetary centre which is humanity itself. It will produce, when over, an increased
stimulation of the intellect as it expresses itself as ordered activity upon
the physical plane. It is also closely connected with the Third Ray of Active
Intelligence. This third ray has been in objective manifestation since 1425
A.D. and will remain in incarnation throughout the Aquarian Age. Its cycles
are the longest of any of the ray cycles. However, within these major cycles
there are periods of intensified activity which are like the beat or pulsation
of the heart and these periods last approximately three thousand years. They
are, when out of incarnation, called [137] "cycles
of withdrawal but not of abstraction." They are three thousand years also
in incarnation. One of these three thousand year periods of expression is now
here and we can look for much development of the intellectual faculty and a
marked increase of creative work during this time. This particular cycle of
expression marks a climaxing point in the larger cycle. During the coming age,
the intelligence of the race and its active development will assume real
proportions and this with much speed.

The intensification of the
life of the human centre will proceed apace and this is the reason why so many
people (as I have earlier hinted) will take the first initiation. Students are
apt to forget that the first initiation can be described, in reality as:

a. The grounding or
externalisation of the Christ principle in humanity as a whole and upon the
physical plane.

b. The flowering of the
intelligence so that the initiate can work powerfully upon the mental plane and
humanity itself be lifted up and aided throughout every part thereby.

c. The coming into activity
of the throat centre and (because the third ray is closely connected with the
first ray) the first faint orientation of spiritual man towards Shamballa can
take place, becoming more and more intensified and pronounced at the time of
the third initiation. I would like here to point out the numerical
correspondences:

1. The third great world
centre — humanity.

2. The activity of the third
ray — active intellect.

3. The third initiation which
marks the consummation of the 1st, just as the 4th initiation marks the
consummation of the second, and the fifth of the third.

[138]

4. The third major centre —
the throat centre.

5. The third race — the
Aryan, as it expresses the first strictly human race, the Lemurian.

6. The third plane — the
physical, the reflection of the third highest plane, the atmic.

7. The third periodical vehicle — the personality.

8. The third divine aspect — intelligence.

9. The third grade of divine messenger — Hercules.

10. The sustaining Life, the
third or outer Sun — the physical sun.

These are a few of the
correspondences which it is helpful for us to bear in mind in so far as they
reveal divine quality, spiritual intent and universal objectives.

During the Aquarian age and
during one third of its expression, that is, during the first decanate,
esoterically considered, the vitalising of the human centre (spiritually
considered) and in relation to the Plan and the steady growth of widespread
creative activity, both in the individual and the race, will be increasingly
seen. This will be due to the work and influence of Saturn, which is governed
by the third ray. This planet is the planet of opportunity, of discipleship
and of testing and the race can look for an increasing expression of Saturnian
activity as that great divine Life continues His beneficent task.

The second initiation is
closely related to the Hierarchy as a planetary centre and to the activity of
the second ray. This initiation will
produce in the initiate a growing sense of relationships, of a basic unity with
all that breathes, and a recognition of the One Life which will lead eventually
to that state of expressed brotherhood which it is the goal of the Aquarian Age
to bring into being. This major centre, the Hierarchy, brings to bear upon
humanity the focussed [139] life of love and
it is this basic love which the second decanate of Aquarius — governed as it is
by Mercury — will bring into manifestation. Mercury, the Messenger of the Gods
(that is, of the Hierarchy of souls), carries always the message of love and
sets up an unbreakable inter-relation between the two great planetary centres,
that of the Hierarchy and that of Humanity.

You have again in this
connection certain fundamental numerical correspondences, which are based upon
the coming into activity of an awakened heart centre in the race. This is the
second major centre in the individual and is situated above the diaphragm, and
through it the Hierarchy can reach the whole of humanity and the subhuman
kingdoms likewise.

1. The second planetary centre — the Hierarchy.

2. The activity of the second ray — love-wisdom.

3. The second initiation,
which relates the solar plexus to the heart, humanity to the Hierarchy and the
personality and the egoic rays to the second, which is ever basically in
manifestation.

4. The second ray centre — the heart centre.

5. The second race (the
Atlantean) as it climaxes in the fourth, the next race.

6. The second plane — the
astral plane. This is the reflection of the second highest plane.

7. The second periodical vehicle — the soul.

8. The second divine aspect — love-wisdom.

9. The second type or grade of Messenger — Christ.
Buddha.

10. The sustaining Life, the
second or subjective Sun — heart of sun.

[140]

To all these is related the
sixth ray as allied to or subsidiary to the second.

In this world cycle it might
be said that the emphasis of all spiritual power is placed in the Hierarchy
which is, at present, the divine intermediary, interpreting the will of God,
which is the purpose of Shamballa. It transmits or steps down the divine
energy so that safe application to Humanity becomes possible. It will be
apparent, therefore, why in the second decanate of Aquarius the Hierarchy can,
as the representative of Shamballa and with the aid of Mercury, bring into
physical manifestation the coming Avatar. This becomes possible when the work
of the first decanate is accomplished and when Shamballa has released and
definitely re-oriented the energies of the third great centre, that of
Humanity. This release and readjustment leads to creative expression and renewed
spiritual life. Planetary alignment can take place and this is a planned
objective for which the Hierarchy is preparing and for which the Avatar Himself
is preparing at Shamballa.

The third initiation is
connected with Shamballa as a planetary centre and to the activity of the first
ray. It should be borne in mind that
this is the first initiation in which personality and soul are united
and fused so that the two aspects form one unit. When this initiation has
taken place, it happens that for the first time some of its broader group
implications become a reality and henceforth constitute the motivating impulse
of the initiate's life. Aspiration ends and the intensest conviction takes its
place. It is interesting also to note that Venus now comes into control in the
third decanate of the Aquarian Age. Venus is esoterically recognised as that
mysterious force which is a blend of love and knowledge, of intelligence and
synthesis, and of understanding and brotherhood. Within the Hierarchy [141] itself, the two great Messengers who have embodied the
dual Venusian energy were the Buddha and the Christ. The Messenger Who will
later come and express the Shamballa urge to synthesis, the hierarchial
aspiration towards love and the desire of humanity for intelligent activity
with combined power will gather all into Himself. All these qualities will
focus in Him, plus another quality or divine principle of which the race of men
as yet knows nothing and for which there is, as yet, no name. He will be a
great and potent Avatar and is not along the line of our humanity at all.

The numerical correspondences
might be noted as follows, remembering that the third initiation is, in
reality, the first initiation of the soul, after complete identification with
the personality within the life and consciousness of the Monad, the One and the
First.

1. The first planetary centre — Shamballa.

2. The activity of the first ray — will or power.

3. The third initiation which
is the first soul initiation, relating the base of the spine to the head
centre, and the soul to the Monad.

4. The first major centre — the head.

5. The first truly divine race — the final race.

6. The third plane, which is
in reality the first plane of soul consciousness, the reflection of the highest
plane, the Logoic.

We will now consider the
trend of the times and seasons as far as the rays are concerned:

RAY I — This ray is still out
of physical manifestation but is beginning to have a definite effect upon the
mental plane; there it influences the minds of disciples everywhere and lays
the stage for the appearance of a certain group of disciples from Shamballa.
Two thousand years from today, the influence of this ray will be felt
powerfully on the physical plane. One hundred years hence its potency will be
noted upon the astral plane.

RAY II — This ray is always
in subjective manifestation and very potent because it is the ray of our solar
system and particularly so at this time as the Hierarchy is approaching closer
to humanity in preparation for the "crisis of love," and an imminent
major planetary initiation. At this time, however, the second ray is becoming
objective in its influence upon the physical plane. It will become
increasingly so for the next two thousand two hundred years when it will
gradually withdraw into the background.

RAY III — This ray will
remain in objective incarnation from the point of view of humanity for a very
long time — so long a time that it is needless for us to anticipate its waning
influence. That planetary centre which is Humanity itself still needs the
intensified application of these forces so as to stimulate even the
"lowest of the sons of men."

RAY IV — This ray, as you
know, begins to come into incarnation early in the next century and — in
collaboration with the developing Saturnian influence — will lead many on to
the path of discipleship. When the peculiar energy [143] to which we give the somewhat unsatisfactory name of
"harmony through conflict" and the forces of that planet which stage
opportunity for the aspirant are working in combination and an ordained
synthesis, we can then look for a very rapid adjustment in human affairs,
particularly in connection with the Path. This fourth ray is, in the last
analysis, the ray which teaches the art of living in order to produce a
synthesis of beauty. There is no beauty without unity, without embodied
idealism and the resultant symmetrical unfoldment. This ray is not the
ray of art, as it is often claimed, but is the energy which brings about the
beauty of those living forms which embody the ideas and the ideals which are
seeking immediate expression. Many people claim to be on the fourth ray
because they dream of the artistic expressive life. As I have told you before,
creative art expresses itself upon all the rays.

RAY V — This ray has been in
manifestation for nearly seventy years. It will pass out (by special and
unique arrangement) in another fifty years, thus breaking into its own normal
cycle, because it is deemed that the needed special impulse has been adequate
and that the impetus given to the human "spirit of discovery" has
served its purpose. Any further intensification of the mental processes just
now (except through the general pervasive effect of the third ray) might prove
disastrous. The ray cycles are usually set and determined, but, in
collaboration with each other and because of the imminent spiritual Crisis of
Approach, the Lord of the Fifth Ray and the Lord of the World have decided
temporarily to withdraw this type of force. It will take about fifty years to
do this.

[144]

RAY VI — This ray has been
passing out of manifestation for quite some time now, as you know, and will do
so with increasing rapidity.

RAY VII — This ray is coming
into effective expression now; there is little need for me to add here anything
further to the mass of information which I have given you in this treatise and
in my other books.

One small point of interest
but one of no especial moment to you is that the Lords of the Rays, through
Their planetary Representatives, constitute a body of directing Forces in
collaboration with the Lord of the World at Shamballa. Their capacity is
advisory and directive but not authoritative. This may be regarded by some of
you as the most interesting piece of information in this book. If this is your
attitude, then it only indicates your unpreparedness for true esoteric
teaching. Students need a greater sense of the real governing values and a
sense of spiritual proportion. Planetary facts and solar facts (under which
heading the above item of information might well be placed) can stimulate your
imagination and widen your horizon; for aspirants and disciples, that is the major
value. All information and happenings which are connected with Shamballa are
always exciting to the neophyte who is apt to forget that he must make his
contact with the more familiar Hierarchy before true and related perception is
his.

I would have you study the
tabulation which I gave you in Initiation, Human and Solar, and which
you will find in the appendix to the first volume of A Treatise on the Seven
Rays. I insert it here for the benefit of those who have no copy of the
first volume of the Treatise, and whose attention should be turned again from
the magnitude of the Macrocosm to the responsibility of the microcosm.

[145]

DISCIPLESHIP AND THE RAYS

Ray I — Force — Energy —
Action — The Occultist.

Ray II — Consciousness —
Expansion — Initiation — The true Psychic.

Ray III — Adaptation —
Development — Evolution — The Magician.

Ray IV — Vibration — Response
— Expression — The Artist.

Ray V — Mentation — Knowledge
— Science — The Scientist.

Ray VI — Devotion —
Abstraction — Idealism — The Devotee.

Ray VII — Incantation — Magic
— Ritual — The Ritualist.

In the Aquarian Age, as a
result of the existing combination of ray influences, humanity enters into an
expansion of consciousness which will reveal to him group relations instead of
his individual and self-centred personal relations. I would remind you that
Aquarius is to be found in the upper half of the zodiacal circle and is exactly
opposite to Leo which is found in the lower half. Leo is the sign of
individual unfoldment and of the self as self-assertive. This highly
individualised sign consummates in Aquarius wherein the individual finds full
expression through the medium of the group, passing from service to himself and
expression of himself as a personality to service of the group and a growing
expression of the Hierarchy to which he steadily draws closer. To this end,
the ray influences will increasingly and steadily be directed. Humanity has
reached a stage where the sense of individuality is rapidly emerging. In every
field of human expression, men and women are becoming definitely
self-assertive. The Old Commentary refers symbolically to this in the
following words:

[146]

"The Lion begins to
roar. He rushes forth and, in his urge to live, he wields destruction. And
then again he roars and — rushing to the stream of life — drinks deep. Then,
having drunk, the magic of the waters works. He stands transformed. The Lion
disappears and he who bears the water pot stands forth and starts upon his
mission."

Those with vision can see this
happening upon every side today. The water-carrier (another name for the world
server) is starting upon his self-appointed task. Hence the anchoring upon
earth of the New Group of World Servers, whose representatives are found in
every land and in every great city. This, I would remind you, has taken place
without exception in every land and they work on all the different rays; they
express many points of view; their field of service is widely differing and
their techniques so diverse that in some cases comprehension is not easy to the
smaller minded person. But, they all carry the pitcher containing the water of
life upon their shoulder, reverting to the language of symbolism, and they all
emit the light in some degree throughout their environment.

To you, who live and work in
this interim period and in this cycle of transition, with all its resultant
outer chaos and upheaval, is given the task of expressing steadfastness,
service and sacrifice. Those are the three words which I give you. I have no spectacular
information to give you, as has sometimes been the case. Too much of this
engrossing and novel information can lead to deep-seated insensitiveness. You
need to absorb and to act upon the information you already have, before there
is evoked from you that basic demand for further light which necessitates
response from those of us who work within the limits of the Hierarchy. For
that demand, we patiently wait.